To examine the relationship between plasma levels of carnitine and acylcarnitines, carnitines in patients with varying degrees of renal failure, the pharmacokinetics of carnitine in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis and chronic peritoneal dialysis after maintenance hemodialysis and chronic peritoneal dialysis and the effects of intravenous L-carnitine infusions during hemodialysis on the body's protein balance, plasma concentrations of naturally occurring potentially toxic hormones and red blood cell fragility and the clinical status in MHD.